Reconciliation and Caribbean Sunsets
by Anon1242
Summary: A brief meeting for Rachel and Eddie after ten years apart... not the desirable ending but maybe a tolerable one?


Eddie had promised himself for the past week that he absolutely, positively, unequivocally would not react. That when he saw his ex-girlfriend for the first time in ten years, there would be no visceral reaction, perhaps a smile that was merely warm and a 'hello' that was merely friendly, but nothing more. They both might smile, maybe even laugh as they exchanged a couple of short stories. But there would be no double-take as she walked into the room. If she was prettier than he remembered, or she had aged better than he had imagined, her eyes or her smile brighter than ever, then yes he may spare a glance but his eyes certainly would not linger.

It had not really occurred to him at first, when Phil announced his wedding to the world, that Rachel would be there; her husband too of course. Eddie's first thought had been to avoid the wedding altogether, but that was quickly dismissed, deciding he could not miss the boys wedding for a woman he had not seen in a decade. His next thought was an introspective one. If he had perhaps put more effort into relationships since her, then they would be meeting each other again as equals, equally coupled up and equally happy, but no. Of course there had been relationships, but only fleeting. He had thought for a moment that something may grow again with Melissa, but the argument of second-best was ever present. Eddie recalled the night he and Melissa had slept together again, when their daughter had just turned three months old, sleep deprivation, a mutual loneliness, the bond of co-parenting, and a little alcohol fueling an inevitably forgettable night. There was no shared smiles or cuddling the next morning, no sweet kisses or gentle touches; instead an empty bed and a baby crying from down the hall.

Months later, in the midst of another row, Melissa would spitefully tell him he had said Rachel's name in his sleep that night.

He asked Melissa when Lily was around a year old, why she didn't talk to Rachel anymore. She had immediately corrected him.

"_She doesn't talk to me. It wasn't my choice" she said, tidying away Lily's toys so she didn't have to look up at him._

"_Because of me?" he asked. _

"_No, she asked me to be totally honest with her and tell her when I realised that she was in love with you, I said I'd realised within my first week at the school… she said 'family isn't supposed to be like this' and I haven't heard from her since" Melissa said, refusing to look at Eddie but not concealing the sadness in her tone. _

"_When did you know I loved her?" he asked._

"_Honestly? The day I met you." Melissa spoke. _

He knew there was no point in arguing with her, or berating her for her selfishness. He held as much blame as her, but he did find himself retreating to the kitchen and slamming his mug into the sink, taking little solace in the sound of it smashing. That had been the tone of their relationship since, of course there had been glimpses at happiness, even euphoria, watching Lily in the school play, reaching over and grabbing Melissa's hand as she tried to blink away happy tears. But there was always the constant comparison, the elephant in the room, the Rachel-shaped hole in their lives.

That was where he found himself now, stood outside of the wedding venue, pondering his now unkept promise. In reality, when Rachel had walked into the church that morning, she was absolutely prettier than he remembered, her hair longer, her skin tanned, eyes bright, smile brilliant. Of course there was a double take and of course his eyes had lingered; he had stumbled over his customary 'hello' and struggled to offer up any anecdotes that would match hers. She, as charming as ever, had kissed him on the cheek and demanded to know that he was now a headteacher and putting his talents to good use. There was a lightness to her now, like she had let something go, or perhaps set something free. It was a fun and flirtatious exuberance that he had seen glimpses of when they had first met but had dwindled over the two years they had known each other. As she had introduced him to her tall, strong, blonde husband, Eddie wondered if his handshake had been too tight, or maybe not tight enough. During the reception, Adam had swiftly and politely left them in search of the bar, leaving he and Rachel to talk alone. Eddie had thought for a moment that Adam was perhaps uncomfortable, before realising that it was simply their loving and understanding relationship; that he had left them to talk so his wife could say whatever she needed to, probably with the understanding that they would rehash it later, together, as spouses should.

It wasn't that Eddie saw Rachel as his soul mate, he did not hold much stock in the concept, he was sure he could be happy with another, it was just that the person had yet to enter his life. Eddie shook his head, as if the movement would assist him in changing his mood. The DJ's insistence on playing a slow paced romantic song at that moment, managing to trickle its way outside, did little to assist him. He kicked a stone in front of him before resting his back against the cold brick behind him. He laughed at himself for a moment as he thought of how he had traded places with a sixteen year old Philip, he now the awkward and socially isolated teen in the midst of an angsty tantrum.

Luckily approaching footsteps interrupted him.

"When did we become these people?" Melissa spoke, downing the remains of a drink and leaning against the wall next to Eddie. He looked at her questioningly. "The people who hide outside at weddings?" She clarified, clearly downtrodden and at least a little drunk Eddie noted.

Eddie had no chance to respond as the pairs conversation was interrupted by two approaching figures and laughter; Rachel's laughter.

"Look, fresh air is fine, but if we miss the Grease medley, i think that may be it for us" Adam teased, wrapping his arms around his wife, spinning her around.

"Miss the Grease medley! Who do you take me for?" she feigned shocked and pushed him away, only for him to pull her back and spin her under his arm in a lazy dance, the slow songs still persisting.

Eddie pushed himself away from the wall, intent on making their presence known, only to have Melissa pull him back and hush him.

"I can't believe Phil is married" Rachel remarked, settling in Adam's arms.

"I know, that must make us at least 104 years old" he said. Rachel smirked and shoved him gently. "I quite like this wedding thing, maybe we should do it again?" he flirted.

"Oh yeah, sweet, you enjoy yourself but i think i'm busy that day." she sarcastically teased, earning yet another tickling squeeze from Adam, eliciting a girly giggle.

"So, when does social convention say we can leave this thing?" Rachel asked, readjusting Adam's shirt collar, an affectionate habit that Eddie remembered fondly.

"About 11:15, post Grease medley, if you're still here when they play Donny Osmands 'Puppy Love', you've stayed too long" Adam smiled and his wife's soft laughter.

"And any further thoughts on bringing our flights home forward a week" Rachel asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Adam laughed and rolled his eyes, clearly not the first time she had asked this. "If you want to go home early we can" he relented, "Manchester is definitely not the Carribean" he concluded.

"Exactly" she responded, pecking him swiftly on the cheek.

"Although…" Rachel started, turning from carefree to slightly pensive.

"Go on" Adam tightened his grip slightly.

"I may talk to my sister a little before we leave" Rachel said, Adam raised an eyebrow, neither judgemental or approving. "Not that I imagine she will want to say too much to me." she continued. Adam didn't respond, having learnt that it was best to let his wife offer up her full thoughts before offering a response. "All the reasons we fell out… I don't care about anymore, and she has the sweetest little girl, my niece, that i've met twice in ten years" she said.

"She looks like you, their kid" Adam interjected.

"Yeah i thought that, the eyes and hair i think." She responded.

"Bambi eyes" he said, watching her blush and offer the smile that had always driven him crazy. "Bet that's a kick in the teeth for them" he laughed.

"Adam!" she reprimanded laughing, knowing he was talking about Eddie and Melissa.

"Sorry. Look i think it's a good idea, i just don't want you to be disappointed." he spoke, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know and I think disappointment may well be inevitable, but either way, we live four thousand miles away. At most it'll be a convenient summer holiday and christmas cards" she said.

"You've thought it all through then." he smiled.

"Oh yeah, you know me, solid over-thinking for at least the last eight days." she laughed.

"Give her your number and see what happens?" he questioned.

"Exactly" she responded.

"I love you" he smiled.

"Understandable" she teased back, earning yet another squeal from her as he picked her up and spun her again, leisurely kissing her. After a moment she pulled away quickly. "You quit flirting with me, you hear that?" she laughed, gesturing towards the building, the Grease medley trickling outside from the hall. "Last one in buys our new flights" she laughed tearing from his arms.

"So it's all real then" Melissa sighed, leaning her head against the wall.

"What?" Eddie asked.

"Rachel and Adam… Part of me had hoped their marriage was barely average and she had to have a chat with him before coming here. You know, 'act super in love so they think i won'... that makes me a bitch right?" she mused.

It probably did make her a bitch but Eddie understood the sentiment. "Not really." he attempted to appease her. "But no, no acting there… she definitely 'won'" Eddie said. "But she deserves it" he defended, watching Melissa's sad eyes. "Hey, it doesn't mean we lost, we have the best daughter in the universe, I wouldn't change that." he nudged her gently.

"You look at her in the same way." Melissa said.

"What?" he said.

"Rachel, when she was telling you about her job earlier, the charity work and the school in the Carribean… you still look at her like you used to, like she's offering up the secrets of the universe." she said.

"Mel" he sighed, not wishing to rehash an old conversation.

"It's fine" she said, giving him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'll see you inside" she said, leaving him once again to his thoughts.

Eddie sighed, resigned to his spot against the wall. He tried to remember a time when Rachel had spun in his arms and smiled like that, flirted so openly, laughed without care. He knew the truth really, he had known it ten years ago too, that she had never really been herself with him. The honest truth was that she had changed almost entirely in the two years he had known her, right in front of his eyes. Before the fire she was one person and afterwards she was another. She had talked about it briefly but he had to admit he had never quite understood, she spoke of her struggle she reconcile who she truly was once everyone knew a handful of her secrets, once her life had been laid bare for all to see. How she had been running for so long and the fire was her finally hitting the brick wall, and he knew it wasn't something she had been able to solve through the course of their relationship.

He recalled standing outside of the school watching it burn, a memory he had not pondered for years now. He relived the overwhelming ache in his chest, the panicked sweat covering his body. The internal pleading; that she would somehow burst through the front doors of the school, escaping the fire, and flash him that brilliant smile. But he had not been the man that pulled her from the fire, not the man that tirelessly waited for her to be ready, and never the man that whisked her off to the Carribean to live a lifetime of cocktails and perfect sunsets.

"Daddy, will you please dance with me now?" his ten year old daughter interrupted his thoughts, seemingly appearing from nowhere. Finally, for the first time that evening, his own smile was brilliant. He lent down and whisked the girl up into his arms, admittedly something he was getting a little old for now.

"Absolutely" he laughed at her excited squeal, his own reconciliation being that, for all his regrets, this was his own Carribean sunset, the tiny hand pulling him from his own fires.


End file.
